


Living Jewelry

by scurvaliciousbay



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Ancient Arlathan, Ancient Elvhenan, F/M, Fantasy Meets Sci Fi, Feynite Fan Work, Gen, Little Robots, automatons, cute robots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-19 15:18:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17004129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scurvaliciousbay/pseuds/scurvaliciousbay
Summary: Adannar refuses to partake in the Living Jewelry sweeping through the empire. Instead, he creates little creatures that imitate life, but perhaps...they imitate it a little too well.





	1. The Jeweler

Adannar does not like using creatures for his craft. Living beings put into suffering just to make elves look good is not something he can conscionably do. He can see the pain and agony in those struggling little figures, strung up around necks and in hair, and it pains him in turn. He is not naïve, he is aware that the empire has its many ills, that many suffer, but he will not inflict suffering where there is no need.

Instead, Adannar gets creative.

With great creativity and dedication, he uses many of the skills he’s picked up over the centuries to start creating imitations of living jewelry. They begin as little things, very mechanical in how they are turned physically to create new shapes. A ring that looks like a flower can be turned and rotated to turn into a small bejeweled beetle. Dangling wing earrings are enchanted so that with the flick of a wrist and a matching ring or bracelet, the wings turn up, curving around the ear, fluttering. He makes two main designs for those – one based on hummingbird wings and another based on damselfly wings. He plays with the idea of making actual dragon-wing inspired ones, but he fears that he is not of station to incorporate such imagery into his work. So, he sticks to the small bird and the damselfly.

Eventually he starts to experiment with larger pieces. He creates a collar that consists of enchanted metal made to resemble tentacles. The tentacles move and can uncoil so that they act as a necklace or even shoulder piece if he makes them long enough. They’re all entwined, moving and slightly disturbing, but pretty. During a meeting between his lady Sylaise and the lord Dirthamen, an attendant of Dirthamen’s wanders to Adannar’s stall and purchases the tentacle piece.

“Can it be enchanted to strangle?” The attendant asks and Adannar blanches.

“Y-yes, it  _could_ , but any necklace can be enchanted to do that. Slithy there is a nice piece, much more prone to snuggling than choking, my lord.”

“You name them?”

“Helps me create the piece, my lord.”

“Hmm, interesting.” The attendant pays and leaves. Adannar remains slightly shaken for the rest of the day. The necklace really was more of a snuggly thing, he almost felt like it looked nicer when he handled it more, letting it wrap around him as he worked on commissions.

Adannar continues to experiment. It is not long until he strongly suspects he has done something  _wrong_. Jewelry typically has personality, just in the way it is and is presented, most often infused with the personality of the jeweler. But these new pieces have  _more_ than that.

A bejeweled beetle on a new necklace, lovingly made with many intricate and enchanted mechanical parts, likes to roam the beads on the necklace like a little track or leaf. Adannar adds a few veridium leaves to the necklace and the beetle climbs on those too. He creates another little beetle and puts it to the necklace. The two beetles consider each other before they start fighting. He is quick to remove the second one. They’re apparently territorial little creatures. He puts the second beetle on matching arm band.

One of Falon’din’s people takes those two pieces. He later sees them purposefully placing the second beetle on their necklace, laughing as they fight each other.

Like the first, it leaves Adannar disturbed. He creates these things to bring joy to people, and while the clients are enjoying their creations…his creations do not seem to be enjoying the clients.

The next piece he makes for Serahlin. It is an intricate hair piece that is supported by two bejeweled metal songbirds. It takes over a year to make, getting all the feathers right, making it so that the birds are as anatomically correct as he can get them while keeping the headpiece supported. He makes it from white gold, steel, with accented with diamonds and canary diamonds. By the end, the piece is made so that Serahlin’s hair must be piled high and back, one bird sits front and center atop her head, looking poised and pristine. The second bird sits low at the base of the head, supporting the bottom half of the piece.

They are enchanted so that they can move without disturbing the hair-do, mainly in their necks and heads. Their wings can also move, and when they are separated from the hair piece, they have the ability to fly. When the piece is not in use, they can be detached, allowed to fly as they wish. They make lovely little companions for his workshop.

The metal of the piece is enchanted so that the birds feel like the metal is their body, not unlike when an elf shifts into an animal. The mechanical birds simply shift into a headpiece. If they feel, they do not feel discomfort.

Serahlin  _adores_  the piece and the birds. They make lovely companions when not in her hair, and when they are in her hair, they are both companion and a stunning statement. It is a sharp rebuke of the living jewelry, showing that there are other options than using creatures, forcing them into shapes they do not like. But Adannar worries that he has only created a new problem – new creatures made to suffer for the sake of art.

He shares his concerns with Serahlin, who shares them. They decide then that she will not wear the piece outside of their home, and instead the birds are to be…family companions.

He stops making other creatures, and he denies commissions for them as well. He loses opportunity, but he does not lose sleep.


	2. Creation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ana'druil belongs to LycheePit
> 
> Thenvunin and Splendor belong to Feynite

There is a knock on the door to his workshop.

“I’ll get it!” Nireni, Adannar’s apprentice, shouts. Wonderful, that means Adannar doesn’t have to stop working on this commission. Sylaise’s attendants can be so picky, but he enjoys the challenge, especially when it involves marrying two metals.

He hears the new customer come in and Nireni’s soft voice as he takes information for what sounds like a new commission. Hopefully it’s something simple enough that Nireni himself can do. A ring or necklace perhaps. But as time goes on, it becomes clear that this will not be a simple commission. Simple ones don’t take over an hour to draw up, or for Nireni to come scrambling back into the actual workspace to pull out the larger string measure. He stops in front of Adannar, his face concerned.

“This patron has larger arms than is typical, can we still make a full-length arm piece?” He asks in a hushed whisper.

“Oh Nireni, of course we can!” He sets the piece he’s working on down and heads back out with Nireni. The patron is tall, fair-haired, and his shoulders are certainly broader than typical aesthetic says is pleasing, and his biceps have a bulkier quality to them. But he is trim and exceptionally handsome still. Interestingly enough, he wears Mythal’s marks and his robes are of fine enough make to indicate high status. An attendant, perhaps?

“Hello, hello, I am the jeweler here. Nireni is my apprentice. I hear you would like an armband?” He greets the man, who arches his very neat brows.

“Yes, he was fetching a longer measure.”

“And here it is! It’s not so uncommon to use the longer measure for bands of this length, particularly for people of your lovely height.” He reassures, attendants are expected to be always fashionable, particularly in Sylaise and Mythal’s services. This man is broader, his arms are not deceptive in their strength, and he must face pressures – external and internal – to fit better into the narrow expectations of fashion. He may be a jeweler first, but he has learned that customers are more likely to return to commission him if he makes them feel more secure in themselves, not just in what he provides physically. A customer who feels good, is a happy customer, and happy customers pay.

But more than that, Adannar likes to make people feel good. He doesn’t always agree with the aesthetic regulations, though he has been told that it’s just his over-enthusiasm for what he does that clouds his judgement. He disagrees with that his enthusiasm for this could ever be a bad thing.

The patron straightens and a strand of delight colors the air around him, good. He’s too handsome to be concerned about biceps and shoulders – which are lovely as they are.

Adannar looks down at the sketch Nireni has done then takes the needed measurements – three around the bicep, one the length of his entire arm, one the length of his forearm, around his forearm twice, his wrist, the length of wrist to the knuckle of his middle finger, and a few others just in case.

“This will be a beautiful piece, but I see we are lacking some details on it. Is this for a specific occasion, are we attempting to match an outfit?”

“Yes, the new Moon Flower Gardens have been constructed and the lady Mythal wishes to celebrate. I have already commissioned a new gown.”

“Oh, that sounds like oodles of fun. Do you have swatches of fabric or colors for me to compliment? I would hate to create something for you that is not perfect.”

As it turns out, he does have swatches of fabric. The moon flowers in the garden are a beautiful white during the day but glow blue at night, and judging from the swatches, the partygoers are expected to match the flowers. Cool colors, delicate lace work, and an appropriate amount of shine that is not glittery. The gown goes up his neck, but is largely sleeveless so he seeks to make up for the lack of a necklace.

“I can make small moon flowers that will bloom under the light, dotting them along the armband.”

The man’s eyes light with curiosity and intrigue, “You can do that?”

“Oh yes! Not the simplest enchantment, but I can do it – it will increase the price, though, so I understand if you would rather not.”

“How much more?”

They go over the cost and settle on five of the flowers, not drastically increases the price, but enough to add a special touch. The man, Thenvunin, gives Adannar information on how to contact him when the order is completed or if Adannar needs more information. He pays a deposit then leaves.

When the door shuts, Adannar sighs and turns to his apprentice, “I know you are used to following the aesthetic regulations closely, but so do our patrons. We must be sensitive to the insecurities of the patrons, so we do not exacerbate them. Could I have convinced him to increase the budget on the commission if he felt more self-conscious about his arms by noting the size of his arms do not fit totally with desirability? Those little flowers will call attention to his arms after all.”

Nireni’s face falls and he inclines his head, “Yes, master, I understand. I apologize.”

“Oh, there’s no need to beat yourself up about it, it worked out in the end. You’re learning, there’s no harm in making mistakes as long as you learn from them. Now come help me with Splendor’s ear-cuff.”

The rest of the day is spent finishing the ear-cuff, carefully putting in the sapphires into the settings, showing Nireni how it’s done. He has not been an apprentice long, only a year or so, and he has so much to learn. It’s good to have an apprentice, Adannar finds, it’s nice to pass on the knowledge he has, and to help make another jeweler out there who won’t turn treat someone poorly due to how they look. People can be taught to see beauty everywhere, and to appreciate it.

Several weeks go by as Adannar works on Thenvunin’s commission. It’s simple enough and he even has Nireni do some of the metal shaping, with close supervision of course. Adannar’s main focus is getting the five little flowers to work properly.

Two weeks to the Moon Flower Garden Party, another knock comes at Adannar’s door. It’s late in the day, Nireni has already gone home for the evening. Adannar is just about finishing closing the shop to start making dinner for his wife, but he is early, so he answers the door.

“Thenvunin, what a pleasant surprise,” he says, smiling sweetly. Thenvunin is dressed exceptionally formally today, but he looks tired.

“Come in, come in – would you like some tea? I have a nice pot on from Ana’druil’s lands – her herbalists make such wondrous teas.” He waves Thenvunin in and leads him to the little break area he has set up, complete with tea pot and mugs.

He pours Thenvunin a mug and settles in, “Are there any concerns you have?”

Thenvunin blinks, “Your apprentice sent for me, he said that it was ready for a fitting.”

Adannar blinks, recalling. He… _oh_.

“He must have not completely understood what I meant. I was expecting you tomorrow, but this is fine. It is ready for a fitting, I apologize for the confusion and the late hour.”

Thenvunin scowls, “Your apprentice is rather incompetent.”

“He’s only thirty-five! But I see your point, I will reprimand him suitably.”

“It is exceptionally rude to be put out this way! I had dinner plans!”

“Oh dear, that is terrible. I will - ”

A loud thud echoes through the space. Adannar’s eyes widen. Oh no, not now. Thenvunin’s face grows more and more irritated.

“And what is  _that_?! I was recommended here because the service was impeccable, but  _clearly_ they were mistaken!” Another thump and Thenvunin is standing up, “and what is that racket! I have half a mind –

The door is flung open and Adannar only hears the tell-tale whirr of his little mechanical birds before they fly right into him. They chirp and hop onto his shoulders, trying to groom the hair around his ears.

Adannar’s eyes go wide and he freezes watching Thenvunin’s face go from anger to shocked awe.

“Oh dear.”

“Are, oh my, are those, they can’t be, they can’t possibly be, they’re…what have you done to these birds?!” He demands, reaching for them. Oh dear, indeed. Adannar sighs and sets the little birds in his lap.

“They’re technically  _not_  birds,” he says slowly, “I…made them. They were going to be part of a headpiece I made for my wife, but I couldn’t stand the thought of them being hurt if others saw them, or having to create more like them only to have them be hurt. So, I keep them here, in my home. I was going to give them a little oil bath today to keep all their pieces working smoothly, they always get excited for those.” He says sheepishly, cradling them against his body.

Thenvunin stares for a long moment, little Sula and Sume chittering while their mechanics whirr softly.

“You  _made_ them?” He says finally, reaching for them. Sume turns toward him, and being the braver of the two, hops up onto Thenvunin’s finger.

“Oh!”

“I did.”

Thenvunin handles little Sume like they’re a real bird, gently and with the utmost care, running fingers along the metal, marveling at the diamonds. Sume chirps at him and he gasps.

“I do not know how you made them, but I would like one.”

“Oh, they’re not for sale and I’m not doing commissions for them. I can’t stand the thought of any of my creations being harmed – not saying you would! But I must be cautious, and responsible.” Adannar gestures for Sume to come back to him, and they follow, flying to his finger before he rises to take them to the oil station.

Thenvunin rises and follows him.

“I will pay whatever you want, I simply must have one.”

“Why? So you can pit them against real birds or perhaps you will commission two and make them fight?”

“What sort of vicious person do you take me for?! I would  _never_ do something so cruel! And I am insulted that you would insinuate such,” he sniffs. Adannar sighs. This is what he wanted to avoid.

“Maybe you are not so cruel to do such things, but word would get out and someone would be bound to be that cruel.” He takes a dropper and slowly works the oil into the sockets of the birds.

“It is not because I do not dislike creating them. I love them very dearly, I simply wish that I could ensure that others would love and care for them as I can. And seeing as I cannot do that, then I cannot create creatures that will only be abused and mishandled, not knowing love.”

“I care for birds already, I would love the creature, just the same as my other birds,” Thenvunin argues. The Sula chitters at him and cautiously hops over to him. They stick out a foot and tap at Thenvunin’s fingers.

Adannar watches, a sadness wafting over him. It’s not that he doesn’t want to create life…

He sighs, “I…will see your garden and birds and then I will contemplate taking the commission. But it takes a long time, more than a year.” He says. Thenvunin’s face lights up and he smiles in victory.

“That is if you are willing to commission me again after today’s blunder,” Adannar says a bit ruefully.

Thenvunin sighs then looks down at the birds, “Your apprentice should be reprimanded for his mistake. But I will not hold it against you.”

“Thank you. Alright, let me put these two troublemakers up so I can get you fitted for what you actually came here for.”

The next hour is spent with Adannar fitting the piece, taking notes on what needs to be adjusted. There is a curving piece, just above Thenvunin’s elbow that will chafe if not allowed more bend.

“Chafing is the enemy,” Adannar jokes at one point.

He has Thenvunin out and free soon enough though, with only some minor adjustments to make.

The following day, he is forced to reprimand Nireni. The poor thing ends up crying which makes Adannar feel terrible. He makes them lunch and have a good long talk about what’s been going on. They come to a better arrangement with Adannar trying to be more specific and concrete in his instructions while encouraging Nireni to ask whenever he may think he’s confused.

They work on orders and simple things to keep the shop stocked the rest of the day. Nireni tells Adannar how he had not expected he would be working with people, he was just going to make small parts for June’s projects, he had not expected a transfer so soon.

“That happens, and you have the finesse to be a lovely jeweler. People skills can be taught, and they can get better, but you have the instincts of a jeweler – you’ll be fine,” he reassures Nireni.

A week and a half passes. Adannar packages Thenvunin’s arm-band and heads to his quarters at Mythal’s palace. It is a very nice place, filled with high ranking people, and many lower ranking who are probably not seen by the higher ranking. Cleaners, cooks, servants of various stations – all to work but not be seen.

He makes his way to Thenvunin’s quarters, knocking carefully on the man’s door. Thenvunin opens the door and welcomes Adannar in. He changes into the gown he will be wearing to the party and Adannar words the arm band onto him. It matches wonderfully, not competing with the lace falling delicately from the capped sleeve, or with the iridescent white-blue of the dress. It is smooth and shining but not competing, and the flowers are responding perfectly to the changes in the light, blooming in lower lights and closing in brighter ones.

Adannar checks to make sure it will not chafe and that it bends properly at the elbow. It fits well and doesn’t even tangle with Thenvunin’s impressive mane of hair. After the fitting, Thenvunin changes back into the day’s clothes then guides Adannar to his garden.

It is a beautiful garden, well-kept and warm, with happy little (and some not so little) birds flying about, chirping at their caretaker. The birds are so beautiful, some are rare, glittering things that Thenvunin must have searched for, while others are more common. But it is none of these beautiful birds that catch his eye, but the large, awkward, and decidedly hideous creature looming over a tree in the back.

“What is that one’s name?” Adannar asks, watching it groom itself.

“That is Screecher, they’ve been with me for a long time. I assure you all of my birds are well taken care of and very happy,” Thenvunin says, preening similarly to his birds. Seeing this garden, Adannar has no doubt that Thenvunin does all that he can to care for them. And it is Screecher that decides Adannar, because he realizes that Thenvunin is like him in a way – seeing beauty and importance, even in those that are not like the rest. Caring for something, even if the rest of the world tells you to not.

“I will do as you request,” he says quietly.

“Truly?! Oh, thank you, you will not regret it. I will keep the little thing safe.”

Adannar nods, “I know. Come see me after the party, I will have a selection of metals you can choose from, as well as jewels for decoration if you want.”

Thenvunin is practically vibrating with excitement by the end, thanking Adannar for the decision. He heads home and tries to prepare himself for creating another little creature. He loves them, and he worries over them not unlike how he worries over his son.

After the party, Thenvunin returns with haste to Adannar’s workshop. They work out a design similar to a tufted titmouse, small and easy to hide if necessary. Adannar draws up a small “jewelry holder” that will act as a natural perch for the mechanical bird. Thenvunin decides to go with titanium accented with un-plated white gold for the body. Amethysts are chosen for the eyes and four yellow topazes for decoration in the body. They also work out a payment plan and Adannar teaches Thenvunin how to care for the birds by having him over with Sula and Sume once a week for the year he works on Thenvunin’s soon to be latest addition to his bird family.

Close to the end of the year, on a temperate afternoon where Adannar is fixing Sula’s flying enchantment in the left wing, Serahlin rushes into the workshop.

“Adannar!” She exclaims. He unfortunately cannot tear his focus from little Sula at the moment, the flying enchantment is near completion.

“ _Adannar!_ ” She says more insistently, stepping up close to him.

“One moment, sweetheart,” he murmurs. Just…a little…ha! There! He fixes the enchantment and Sulas jumps into the air quickly, testing out the new enchantment.

“Yes, vhenan?”

“They approved us, they approved us to have another baby!” She says, eyes bright and near tears. His eyes widen and a familiar sensation of awe and thanks wafts over him. He turns soft and cannot hold back his tears as he pulls Serahlin close, burying his nose in her hair.

They start trying that night for their second child. He is surprised that they are allowed to have another child so soon, Ileth has only recently reached his first century, and surely there are those also on the list…but no, he will not question this gift. He’s going to be a father again.

He finds that his light mood and excitement at the future spurs him to create the little bird quicker. The magic flows better, and the joy that he used to be is  _there_  and he guides it easily into the body. Two months before the deadline, the bird whirrs to life, hopping happily around Adannar’s workshop desk, chittering and investigating everything it can. For the first few days, he teaches it and cares for it like a father would a babe. He teaches it how use the enchantments to fly, how it can hide on its perch by pretending to be a still creature. He gives it love and happiness and tells it about Thenvunin.

After those first few days, he packs it up and journeys to Thenvunin’s quarters once more. Like a nervous father awaiting his child, Thenvunin paces and can hardly keep still as Adannar takes the bird out the carrying box. It is currently attached to the jewelry stand, stone still, waiting for Adannar to give it the all clear.

“Kee-koo,” Adannar coos and the little bird whirrs to life, fluttering its wings and taking in its new environment. Thenvunin gasps, going stock still as Adannar guides the little thing to him.

“That is Thenvunin, he is to be your caretaker. Yes, yes,  _him_ , he is very nice.”

The bird hops into Thenvunin’s outstretched hand and he immediately softens around it.

“It’s beautiful. Absolutely amazing, I cannot…this is incredible, oh!” The bird hops up to Thenvunin’s shoulder in short order and investigates his hair.

“Oh good, it likes you. Always a worry there. You can name it whatever you wish, simply say ‘I give this name to you –‘ then say the name. ‘Kee-koo’ is the safe word, say it and the little fellow will go and hide on its little perch. To indicate it’s safe again, say the word again. It understands much, don’t feel odd about talking to it. Oh and if one of the enchantments gets odd, do not hesitate to contact me. I would prefer to fix the enchantment here rather than at the workshop only to limit the risk of exposure.” Never before has he given such lengthy instructions on a piece of jewelry. Well. There was that  _one_ time when he tried to delve into  _personal intimate_ jewelry.

Never again.

This is much more pleasant, watching Thenvunin discover the joy of the little creature before him. A creature that did not exist a week ago, now has life breathed into it, ready to live and be loved.

“It’s  _warm_ , that is amazing.”

A warming enchantment, to make it feel more alive.

Adannar helps Thenvunin with the little fellow with the rest of the afternoon, going over everything. He even helps introduce the little thing to the rest of the birds. Most do not seem to care, but Screecher is exceptionally interested. They nuzzle their beak at it and squawk before backing off to watch before interacting again.

Several hours later, Thenvunin walks Adannar out, thanking him endlessly. A worried weight eases off Adannar’s shoulders. Thenvunin will take care of the bird, he will make sure that it will not be hurt by any nasty people.

Adannar returns home to fall into bed with Serahlin, eager to continue to create life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. Purpose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zehirel = fairy dragon

Serahlin goes into labor six weeks earlier than expected.

The air around Sylaise’s palace has been suffused in various spiritual energies due to extensive renovations. There is no way for it to be  _proven_ that this is why Serahlin goes into pre-term labor, but Adannar suspects and he fears. He fears as he hears Serahlin’s crying and screaming as she delivers a quiet baby.

A  _quiet_ baby.

Adannar’s knees give out and Serahlin cries.

_Why aren’t they crying? Why is there no crying?!_

He is stricken to quiet and wonders if it is possible for him to corrupt, even inside his body. He feels his heart in his chest breaking as the seconds turn into a minute. Then another.

He tries to rouse himself to comfort Serahlin, but all he manages to do is drape himself over the side of her bed, crying softly as panic courses through his body.

“Let me up,” Serahlin demands, trying to sit up, pushing and grabbing at him all at once.

“You need rest,” the midwife says.

“I have not even held them! They will leave and I will never have held them!” She shrieks, her grief and desperation filling the air in great waves.

“They need their mother, us,  _please_ ,” Adannar begs, the grief making him sluggish unlike his wife.

It is then that the most glorious sound echoes from the table where the healers are cluttered. It is not quite a cry or a wail, but a warbling rasping sound and the healers all collectively let their relief pour into the room.

Serahlin shakes and continues to try and push herself out of the bed, only to double over.

“Vhenan!” Adannar cries, torn between seeing to her or their babe…

“It is simply the afterbirth, she must deliver the placenta now,” the midwife explains and right, yes, he remembers this with Ileth.

“ _Go to them,_ ” she demands and he nods, worried still for her but worried more for their child. He rises and maneuvers to where the healers are gathered around a tall examining table specifically built for babes.

They are…small and pale, with a tuft of dark hair sprouting from their head. Their chest, so small, covered in what looks to be thin skin, rises with shaky breaths. But they are  _breathing_ and moving, struggling to get warm as the healers continue to inspect them.

“They are cold, they need to be swaddled,” Adannar says, trying to elbow his way between the healers.

“Premature births make for sickly babies, they need the inspection –

“The inspection will make them sicker if they are not swaddled!” Adannar protests, moving himself more forcefully to the babe. He grabs a blanket and oh so carefully maneuvers the babe into its folds. He brings them up to the crook of his neck, holding them close to his warm body, almost to will warmth and life from himself into this tiny, little life.

The healers fuss but slowly ease off once they realize that Adannar is actually helping.

“Breathing is improving.”

“Heartrate is stabilizing.”

“Temperature is rising.”

The babe feels only half the size that Ileth was. Small in Adannar’s large hands, frail compared to the callouses on his fingers, but Adannar is careful. He keeps his body as stable as possible as he moves back to Serahlin.

“They’re very small,” he whispers, sitting next to her. She reaches up and he relinquishes the baby into her loving arms. She holds them close, eyes fluttering closed as her own relief finally manifests.

The healers remain with them for a long time, monitoring both baby and Serahlin. They not so subtly urge Serahlin and Adannar to choose a name for them sooner rather later, just in case. Serahlin scowls at them and if it was not for the fragile life in her arms, Adannar suspects she would have attempted to harm the healers in some way.

But Adannar understands the practicality of it. The birth was complicated, Serahlin bled more than usual, her own temperature is high, and the baby is having trouble breathing. The healers discuss the viability of  _moving_ them all to a safer place, away from all the chaotic energies that have been infiltrating the palace.

Through it all, Adannar feels helpless. He cannot remove the energies, he cannot fix the baby’s lungs, which seem to be the source of all the issues. Even their weight, while low, can be remedied with feeding. But the babe’s  _lungs_ struggle to even pull in enough air to sustain them. Feeding is difficult, and never private. Serahlin is kept from breastfeeding simply to make sure that they are in optimal position for breathing. It maddens her, makes her weep, even though she knows it is what’s needed.

Every day is tense, every hour a blessing, and there are new scares daily. The babe survives, though, and each day, they grow stronger, despite the healers’ grim outlooks. They are defiant and brave, miraculous and deceptively strong. Their will to live is enough to carry them through.

Two weeks after the birth, the baby is given a name –  _Tonlen_. And he is a boy, his personality already showing in small but telling ways. Another son, another beautiful, wonderful son.

Adannar treasures every moment he can have Tonlen in his arms. Serahlin holds him the most, which Adannar does not mind, she is protective and wants to hold her son where she sees him safest. There is immeasurable joy at seeing her hold him, a little life he helped create, that he will help cultivate in this world. The odds are stacked against his son, but Tonlen is strong, despite what the healers say, Adannar  _knows_ his child.

Serahlin agrees. Their baby boy will live.

Ileth visits, worried and frayed at the edges, but cautiously hopeful. He is uncertain of how to proceed around his brother the first day, but he grows into his new role with grace. Just like his mother. It is amazing, Adannar finds, that even with Tonlen so young, he looks very different from Ileth. Dark hair instead of white, two grey eyes instead of one grey and one yellow. He also has Serahlin’s nose, Adannar thinks, instead of his own, which Ileth shares.

Despite his fragile appearance, Tonlen grows in strength and in size. He eats frequently and naps even more, his body working endlessly to build itself, make itself stronger to face every day. Some days are harder than others. These are days when his lungs seem to not be able to drag in enough air, making Serahlin and Adannar fret over him ceaselessly. Sometimes these days are stacked back to back and there is little reprieve for them.

It is on the tail end of a four-day streak of this when Adannar thinks there ought to be a better way to do this. They are constantly on edge, worrying about when Tonlen’s next episode will be. The worst is when the boy sleeps, they both fear that he will simply stop breathing. So they hover, and Adannar is convinced that it is hindering the little boy’s sleep.

He is out in the garden with the mechanical birds when it dawns on him – he could hypothetically create a creature to watch over Tonlen. A creature that can sound an alert when Tonlen is having difficulties and in dire need administer assistance. A creature with purpose. It would be…a new avenue for Adannar, and he cannot help but worry at the philosophical implications. He writes the idea off as too risky.

But a week later, Tonlen has another stint and it lasts  _six_ days this time.

Adannar turns to his sketchbook and realizes that while he  _could_ make this creature, it would take an inordinate amount of time. Time that he would rather spend with Tonlen and Serahlin. He resigns himself again and returns to his primary duties of fatherhood.

The idea returns for a third time when he unpacks a new mobile for the nursery. It’s a custom piece that was ordered to be ready by the time of the birth but that had been when they believed Serahlin’s pregnancy would be as long as her first one.

Adannar lifts the mobile out of the box and marvels at the craftsmanship. Gem-encrusted wooden animals magically suspended by a center piece that attaches to the ceiling. There is a halla, a mockingbird, a bear, a nightingale, and a zehirel (a small, palm-sized cousin of the dragons). They are beautiful and so lifelike that Adannar wonders…he could potentially modify these to monitor Tonlen. They are already built to move in minimal ways – the birds and zehirel flap their wings, the halla walks and turns its head, and the bear lumbers along.

He brings the idea up with Serahlin who is hesitant.

“We can monitor him ourselves, what is a little lost sleep for the safety of our son?” But she is lagging and two days later, she falls asleep during her shift to monitor him. Thankfully nothing happens but Adannar could hypothetically bring more peace of mind to the situation. She acquiesces, tired and fearful, but so full of love. He kisses the top of her head then her mouth proper.

“We will get through this, my dearest heart, I will make sure of it,” he promises.

They have Ileth take time off to help with Tonlen then Adannar sets to work modifying the little animals. Truthfully, he is not used to working with healing and monitoring enchantments, but he supposes the basis of it is the same as other enchantments. He visits the library and reads up on the enchantments, takes a few notes, and returns home. He works on the mockingbird first. He is familiar with flying enchantments and can work around them easily enough.

It takes him three days to finish the mockingbird, and when he is finished, it turns to him with its beautiful opal eyes and  _regards_ him, like an actual bird.

“Hello,” Adannar says, smiling.

It chirps, not its warning cry that he made, but a more communicative chirp he thought would be good to have as well.

“I did this because I need your help,” he explains, “my son is ill and my vhenan and I need help watching over him. Could you do this for us please?”

The bird chirps again and flutters its wings in…agreement? He holds his hand for the bird and it hops in. Adannar takes it carefully into the nursery where he shows the bird Tonlen. He is in his crib, not swaddled for a change, his little legs kicking out.

“This is Tonlen. Tonlen, this is…Bava. They are here to help.” He raises his hand up to the mobile where Bava takes flight with an agreeable chirp. It joins in the rotation of the other animals, magic pulsating from it consistently, assessing Tonlen.

He frets briefly over the effect the magic could have, but…he believes it is needed. Tonlen must be alive to have his development affected, after all. Some things take precedence and Adannar will gladly work through whatever challenges Tonlen may face. He is his son, regardless of frailty, regardless of condition, regardless of circumstance.

The halla takes four days to work out. This one too seems to regard Adannar more closely than his other previous creations. He tells it the same thing, introduces it to Tonlen as Bidi, as well as to Bava.

The rest of the creatures all go the same way. The bear becomes Dumu, the nightingale Popo, and the zehirel Mawa.

It is not long before the creatures show their worth. It is the end of a  _good_ day, where Tonlen had smiled and cooed plenty, when Bidi’s call of alarm echoes through the home. Adannar is out of bed immediately, running into the room to see Bava and Mawa hovering over Tonlen, dousing him in careful healing energies.

Quickly Adannar scoops Tonlen up and holds him in the way the healers showed him to help with breathing. Soon his wheezing eases and his breathing returns to normal. He hiccups and blinks up at Adannar with his big, grey eyes. Adannar’s heart fills with such immeasurable love that he is nearly moved to tears. He leans forward to gently rest his forehead against his son’s, grateful for his life, grateful to the life Adannar has surrounded Tonlen with to keep him safe.

He looks up at the mobile animals, all looking down at Tonlen and Adannar.

“Thank you, you are perfect,” he whispers. Bava chirps and Dumu nods its head. They…are communicating in some way with him. Mawa flies down to Tonlen who reaches out, tiny fist trying to grasp the pretty toy. The toy looks up at Adannar, nods its head then returns with the others back to their positions in the mobile.

Purpose, he thinks, life…it needs purpose. And that is what he gave them. He looks down at Tonlen and marvels at his life, at the many purposes he has and will have. So much life, so different from each other, but life all the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


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